Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The Weimar Republic Essay Example for Free

The Weimar Republic Essay The Weimar Republic was created in 1919 after Wilhelm II abdicated. The new government consisted of the ones who signed the Treaty of Versailles, and so nationalistic Germans thought this to be traitorous. The severe consequences given by the treaty had many Germans looking for a scapegoat to blame and the government fitted perfectly. Straight from the beginning, Weimar faced obstacles from both left and right wings. The Spartacist group on the left, lead by Liebknicht was looking to imitate a more Russian Communistic political system. They then tried to take control of Berlin, with the support of the USDP, however the military troops suppressed the revolt. Next revolt was from the right wing, and this was the Kapp Putsch, where they seized government buildings. Then Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch, with an attempt to seize the Bavarian government, which lead to another revolt being crushed, but clearly indicating that there were oppositions from both sides. The Treaty of Versailles had put Germany into financial implications, and it was starting to show that the numbers they had to repay was not a realistic one. In 1923 when a hyperinflation had developed, the currency was becoming more and more worthless: the Treaty, which was signed by the government, caused great despair, so they blamed the government for it. Then when Stresseman was appointed chancellor, he tried to get the ‘Allies’ to be more merciful and showed them how impossible the task they were given from the treaty actually was. Then the Dawes plan kicked in, which tried to keep the levels of reparations at a balanced budget, in order to prevent another situation of hyperinflation. It did help to stabilize the economy and settle inflation and it was shown in the general economic improvements, such as car sales and mass productions. More cultural improvements would follow: music, literature and theatre. Berlin even overtook Paris’ place of being the most à ¢â‚¬Ëœartistic city’ After the Great Depression occurred, the economy once again plummeted, which caused unemployment level to skyrocket. Hitler who had established himself as a leading politician at the time, preached employment and greatness, had almost ten times as many seats in the 1930 election than they did three years earlier. The German population was looking for more extreme solutions, and hundreds of demonstrations occurred against the government. This was what Hitler wanted. He had such a wide appeal and was attractive to the workers, by promising employment. A couple of years later, though, their number of votes would decline: the country was splitting into two, but both wanted to change the current government. Hindenburg passed away and Hitler appointed himself the Fuhre and the Weimar Republic was over with. To conclude, The Weimar Republic had been growing for many years, and the current circumstances did not make it any easier. It had overcome many difficulties earlier and the first signs of the republic being doomed came in the late 20’s and early 30’s when the country was starting to separate into two. To say that it was doomed from the moment it was created is irrational because it was not evident in the earlier years and only became visible later on.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Hearts of Darkness :: Example Personal Narratives

Hearts of Darkness I walked in the door with shaky hands and my heart beating a mile a minute. The building was beautifully decorated and I felt very out of place. I had never had a job before and was nervous that busing tables at a country club wasn't really for me. I walked into the linen room and put on my burgundy bus coat for the first time. Now I was feeling more excited than nervous. I would meet people and learn new things. Maybe this would not be so bad. Everyone seemed very nice and another bus girl offered to give me a tour. We went to the main dining room, a smaller dining room, the bar and the kitchen. She told me not to spend too much time there because the Mexican guys were kind of scary. I thought that was a mean thing to say but I listened and didn't even say hello to them. After a few days I became curious about why she had said to stay away from the guys in the kitchen. I asked around and heard a lot of rumors about sexual harassment. I decided to say hello to some of the Hispanic men anyway and not listen to the rumors. I wanted to find out firsthand if they were true. The first man I saw was short with dark, shoulder-length hair. I said hello and he replied with a shy Hola. When I saw the next man, I said, "Hola" very enthusiastically to let him know I wanted to be friends. He replied with the same and a very broad smile. I decided then that I did not need to listen to other people. These men seemed very nice. From then on I always said hello to my new friends in the kitchen. I'd had two years of Spanish at school and could somewhat communicate with them. I learned their names and a little about their lives. My favorite person at the club turned out to be Felipe, one of the chefs. He was the nicest person I had ever met. He always yelled Chreeeessy! when I came in the kitchen and gave me a huge hug. He would ask me how I was and how my soccer team was doing. I learned that he had a wife and a son.

Monday, January 13, 2020

African Music and Culture Creative Exploration

African music is developed largely by the civilizations in sub-Saharan Africa. Their traditions give emphasis to singing. This is because songs are used as means of communication.Many languages in Africa are â€Å"tone languages†.   Pitch level identifies meanings. Meanwhile, melodies and tempo of their songs go after the intonation and rhythms of the text of the songs. In general, African songs are in form of call-and-response, as if they are really talking. This shows the relationship between the music and linguistic in sub-Saharan Africa. (Genesis 1996-2006)One major effect of the Arab conquest in North Africa is in religious aspect. Islam proliferated immediately in that part of the continent. They were calling Muhammed, along with their god’s name Allah, five times in a day from thousands of towers near the mosque, which are called minarets. These minarets were spread in North Africa, South-Western Europe, and Western and Central Asia. But in other parts of Afric a, Islamization was quite a slow process. (Doi 1998)Africa is the birthplace of our habit of making music. The continent can be divided in five regions musically. North Africa has musical connection with the Arab and Islamic world. European colonization influenced music in West Africa.This region is known for classical and court music in sub-Saharan Africa. With their traditions, they preserved splendid musical heritage. (Africa 1996-2006)In Madagascar, generally, more metrical songs can be found on the coastline. Songs that are more soothing and slower are from the interior part of the place. In linguistics, it is quite mysterious.Their spoken language, Malagasy, is widely used in the country despite of the island’s large size and cultural diversity. In additional, Malagasy originated in Indonesia.   (WildMadagascar.org 2004-2006)After the resettlement of former African slaves, they got educational and job opportunities in urban areas. They engaged in cultural and scholarl y activities.They had published some newspapers and journals. They excelled in this field later. Examples of these successful Africans are Paul Laurence Dunbar, a poet-novelist, and Claude McKay, a black poet and novelist who first attracted a large number of white audience. (AFRICANS-AMERICANS 2006)REFERENCES:Africa 2006. National Geographic Society 1996-2006 [cited September 9 2006]. Available from http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/region/content.region/africa_1AFRICANS-AMERICANS 2006. The History Channel website 2006 [cited September 9 2006]. Available from http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=200351.Doi, Prof. A. Rahman I. 2006. Islam and Africa. Dr. A. Zahoor 1998 [cited September 8 2006]. Available from http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/islafrica.htmGenesis, African. 2006. African People & Culture africaguide.com 1996-2006 [cited September 8 2006]. Available from http://www.africaguide.com/culture/music.htm.WildMadagascar.org. 2006 . Malagasy, the language of Madagascar Rhett Butler 2004-2006 [cited September 9 2006]. Available from http://www.wildmadagascar.org/people/malagasy.html   

Sunday, January 5, 2020

What Are Teachable Moments

A teachable moment is an unplanned opportunity that arises in the classroom where a teacher has a chance to offer insight to his or her students. A teachable moment is not something that you can plan for; rather, it is a fleeting opportunity that must be sensed and seized by the teacher. Often it will require a brief digression that temporarily sidetracks the original lesson plan so that the teacher can explain a concept that has captured the students attention. Taking the time to explore this tangent is almost always worthwhile. A teachable moment could ultimately evolve into a full-blown lesson plan or unit of instruction. Examples of Teachable Moments Teachable moments can happen anytime, and they often pop up when they are least expected. Once, during a morning meeting, a student asked his teacher why they had the day before off from the school. The day before was Veterans Day. The teacher used the students question as an opportunity to talk about the sacrifices that men and women in the armed services have made on behalf of their country. The students were fascinated hearing the teacher explain the significance of Veterans Day. Together, they spent 20 minutes discussing their friends and neighbors in the armed services and what their contributions meant for the countrys future. Another example of a teachable moment took place when a student asked her teacher why she had to do  homework  every day. Children are curious by nature, and many of the other students were probably wondering the same thing, even if they didnt have the nerve to ask. The teacher turned the students question into a teachable moment. First, she asked the students themselves why they thought they had to do homework. Some students said it was just because the teacher said so, while others said that it was a way to help them learn. The teacher and the students spent about 20 minutes discussing why homework was important for their  learning  and how it helps them practice  concepts that they are studying  in class. How to Create a Teachable Moment Teachable moments come up all the time. As a teacher, you have to pay close attention and be ready for them. Like the teachers in the examples above, you have to be willing to engage with student questions and have open and honest dialogues. Taking the time to explain the why behind the answer to a students question is often one of the best ways to create a teachable moment. You can also create teachable moments by asking students to talk about the book they are reading or about the lesson they are learning. You can have students listen to music and talk about the lyrics or look at photographs and talk about what they notice in the pictures. If you ever come to the point where  a student asks you a question and you do not know the answer, all you have to do is say Lets look up at the answer together. Learning alongside your students is a great way to build trust and create more opportunities for teachable moments.